All visitors 25 years old and younger can now get into the Whitney Museum of American Art for free
Calling all young art-lovers!
Beginning this week, anyone younger than 25 years old will receive free admission to the Whitney. With tickets that typically cost adults $30 and seniors/students $24, this news removes one pricey hurdle that can come between you and beloved artwork from Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jasper Johns.
Prices are currently in flux for some of New York’s famed museums. Last year, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim and yes, the Whitney all raised their ticket prices from $25 to $30. But Scott Rothkopf, the Whitney’s Alice Pratt Brown Director, understands how expensive New York can be and says the museum wants to be part of the solution.
“Since its founding the Whitney has been committed to supporting young and innovative artists and we now hope to further support younger audiences, too, by addressing financial barriers that affect this group the most,” said Rothkopf in an official statement. “I believe deeply in the cultural and social impact we can have by sharing the vitality and relevance of the Whitney’s artistic program with young people from New York, the United States and around the globe.”
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This isn’t the Whitney’s first rodeo in trying to make art more accessible. Earlier this year, the prominent Meatpacking District museum made Friday nights and every second Sunday free to all.
The Whitney said that these programs have brought over 200,000 people in to check out recent exhibitions. In addition to those thousands of visitors, the museum noted that the average patron during these free events was regularly younger and more diverse, while half of them were first-time attendees.
To celebrate the launch of free admission for those 25 and younger, the institution is throwing a party this free Friday, December 13. Brooklyn venue Public Records is curating a mix of folk music acts, experimental songsters and more, before DJ April Hunt takes over at 8pm.
Also on Friday, visitors are encouraged to write letters about how the legendary Alvin Ailey influenced them in tandem with the Whitney’s Edges of Ailey exhibition, a collection of visual art, video installations and more exploring the life of the respected choreographer. To top things off, Ailey Extension instructors will be on site to teach dance lessons!
If you’re planning to go, don’t forget to still snag tickets online as capacity at the museum is always limited. You can find out more on the museum's official website.
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